Farmers ‘incensed’ with licence fees

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 8

Farmers ‘incensed’ with licence fees

Substantial increases in the motor transport licence fees for farm vehicles will cause many farmers to say “to hell with them" and run their vehicles unlicensed, according to Mr F. Bull, chairman of the agriculture section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers. Thus instead of gathering more money through increased fees the Government would face diminishing returns. such as had happened to the Railways and Air New Zealand, said Mr Bull. “If the Government is serious in its stated intent to cut inflation then it should set a better example." said Mr Bull. "With inflation at 18 to 20 per cent why was it necessary to increase licensing fees for some classes of vehicles by up to 100 per cent and the rest by 50 per cent or more? “Farmers are particularly insenced by the current year’s fees which apply to class B farm vehicles and machines and feel they are out of all proportion when compared to other vehicles which have full road status. “For example the licence portion for a farm tractor, which has very restricted access to the road, is now $3l, compared to a car which can travel unlimited mileage all over New Zealand for $39. “To rub more salt into the wounds the majority of tractors are now diesel and instead of being able to claim a fuel rebate, they actually pay a proportion of road tax on all the fuel burnt cultivating paddocks. “In most cases farm tractors only use the roads to gain access to different parts of the same property and are

licensed simply to avoid a legal hassle in the unlikelyevent of an accident,” said Mr Bull. "A farmer with three tractors is now expected to pay over $lOO for the doubtful privilege of gaining very limited legal use of the road. "I would suggest that many farmers will now say 'to hell with the consequences' and run them unlicened. “Class B farm trucks, such as Landrovers, with very limited road access, last year paid 60 per cent of" the licence fee of a motor car. “This year the fee payable is in excess of 80 per cent of that for the ordinarv motor car. “Farm motor cycles. 60cc and over, now have the same accident compensation levy and total licence fee as those licensed for full road use. “The farmer is therefore paying accident compensation out of all proportion to other users, because being self-employed he has already paid a proportion of his own income as well as a levy on his employees’ wages to accident compensation and is now expected to pay the maximum rate as well to license his bike. “Farmers support the principle of user-pays but with this year’s licensing fees it is obvious we are expected to pay out of all proportion to our ability to use. “I also find it somewhat ironic that the Government, having drafted the licensing regulations, is now encouraging the abuse of those same regulations by the sheer size of some of the fees imposed and the disregard for certain principles involved," concluded Mr Bull.